Runaway Empire
by DWOF
Summary: Jade has Tori carried away which triggers feelings that Tori can't explain and she refuses to let go. Why can't Tori let go of a "simple" gesture? Will Tori literally go the distance to get through to Jade? JORI. Rated T for now.
1. Carried Away

**This is my first fan fic so go easy on me. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Victorious. At all.**

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><p>"What the..." I wake up catching a glimpse of the night sky before looking down at my body. My arm is awkwardly rested on my chest while the other arm is dangling, swaying freely. I look down passed my swaying arm, eyes barely open, and notice the cracks of what seems to be a sidewalk passing by to the sound of heavy footsteps. It takes me a moment to realize that I'm not dreaming and I definitely am not flying. I'm cradled in someone's arms. I panic for a moment before I realize that my awkwardly positioned arm is pressed against things that no man would have unless surgery was done. Boobs! I'm being carried by a chick! A hood casts a shadow over her face so I'm not able to make out who this person is. I quickly pull the back of the hood to reveal the stranger. This isn't a stranger at all. My heart feels as though it has dropped into my stomach. I rub my eyes to make sure I'm not hallucinating.<p>

I can't... I can't believe my eyes.

"Urgh. You pulled my hair, you idiot." Her tone is soft yet harsh.

"Jade?" I blurt out. "Wha-what's going on? Put me down!" I begin to squirm but she continues to hold a tight grip.

"Shut up, Vega." Jade's tone stays the same. She looks around to see if anyone has spotted us. "Seriously. Sh!"

"Why are you carrying me?" She stays silent, eyes fixated onward and continues walking. I can't even begin to gather my thoughts right now. Being carried by Jade West isn't exactly something I would call normal. If anyone from school saw what was happening right now, they'd probably pull out their cell phone, record this on video, and immediately upload it onto the slap. 'JADE WEST AND TORI VEGA: TRUE IDENTITIES AFTER SCHOOL HOURS' would probably be the title. Yep… that would definitely get a ton of views.

I can't stand this silence…

I grab Jade's face so that she could look at me. She instantly shoots me a glare that I've seen one too many times. I slowly let go. "Look, Jade. I just want to know what this is all about."

She came to a halt that almost made us fall over. "If you don't shut up I'm going to drop you… kick you…" her voice grew quieter. "and make sure some freak kidnaps you. It's pathetic that I'm carrying you at this time of night… no… it's pathetic that I'm carrying you _at all._"

"Then put me dow-"

"No!" She looks around again and stops herself from yelling. "I've carried you..." She takes in a deep breath and exhales. "I've carried you for a good block. I've made it this far and I'm not putting you down until I get your skinny ass home. Now shut your mouth and I promise that I won't leave you to die." I'm pretty sure that last part was more of a threat rather than words of comfort, but I don't know why they just made me feel somewhat safe. The pride and anger in her voice is something I've never heard before though. "Oh and by the way… put my hood back on for me. I don't want anyone to see that I'm carrying a _Vega._" The emphasis on the Vega made my family name sound like I disease. I grabbed her hood and pulled it down over her face so that she couldn't see a thing.

"Ha!"

"Mature, Vega. Very mature and _very_ smart. I'll continue walking until I trip over onto you." She shook her head so that the hood could adjust itself from covering her eyes.

I slightly adjust myself in her arms so that I'm more comfortable. One of my hands move across her shoulder blades to grab onto one of her shoulders while the other hand holds onto the side of her neck. She lets out a groan but I have no other option to decrease the continuous bouncing with each step that she takes. She's going to have to deal with it. None of this was my idea… I think.

I can't remember what happened after I stepped out onto Cat's front steps during her party. I had nothing to drink tonight, so it wouldn't make sense for my memory to go completely blank. Everything after walking out her front door is blank. That's it. Blank. Now I'm here in Jade's arms, with a throbbing headache that I also can't explain. For all I know, she could be taking me to a basement so that she could lock me up and starve me to death. Or worse… she could be bringing me to a ditch so that she could bury me alive. Those ideas are silly but not completely unlikely, especially when it comes to the infamous Jade West.

As we continue this journey, which already feels like forever, I try to put together the puzzle pieces that don't match up at all. Why would Jade carry me after _any _situation? She doesn't even like hugging me… let alone touching me at all. This is probably the longest we've ever kept our bodies in contact with each other and she doesn't seem to mind. Well, I'm sure she does which brings me to the fact that none of this makes sense.

Before trying to put all these jagged puzzle pieces together, I notice that we're already at my driveway.

"Got your keys?" she asks as we get to the front door.

"Um… I think so." I reach into my back pocket and pull them out. I place the house key into the lock and stare at Jade before unlocking the door.

"What?" she says angrily.

"Are you going to put me down now, master?"

"No." she says in a monotone voice. I really don't understand this girl. This is getting on my nerves. Maybe she's up to something or maybe this is her idea of returning a favor. Whatever it is… I need answers. I need answers now!

I finally open the door.

"Ow!" I hit my head against the door frame as Jade walked inside. "My head already hurts, Jade!"

"Oops." She says sarcastically.

"What's going on here? Why are you carrying my sister?" Trina's voice seems amplified, making my headache even worse. She shoots up from the couch with a concerned look on her face. I have to admit, it's sweet when Trina decides to actually care but I'm not in the mood for sweet right now… or her whiney voice for that matter. "Are you two drunk?" Jade and I both ignored her. "Not going to answer me? Urgh. Whatever… I don't understand you two."

Trina just happened to make a point without actually saying it. Jade West and Tori Vega; we aren't exactly the best of friends. To be honest, I still can't figure out if we're friends at all. We're polar opposites. _That _I'm sure of.

"You're lucky my parents aren't home for another two weeks, Jade. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be too happ-"

"Shut up! Your parents are _unlucky _to have a daughter like you." Jade continues walking up the stairs as Trina sat back down on the couch, moving her wrist back and forth with the remote in her hand.

"What_ever_, Jade. You two continue your little bipolar relationship. Just so you know... my parents are lucky to have a daughter like me. I'm pretty, I'm talented, I'm swee..." her voice begins to fade away the deeper we get into the upstairs hallway. We finally get to my room and Jade kicks open the door. She rushes to the side of my bed, dropping me.

"You didn't have to drop me, you know."

"Be thankful that I dropped you on your bed and not on the cement." She begins rubbing her forearms and walks to the opposite side of the bed with her back faced towards me. She sits down and lets out a sigh. There's something about Jade tonight that I can't grasp. She's still Jade… same attitude, same daggers for eyes, she still seems to hate me but there's definitely something going on in the mind of hers. I was never the type of person that was able to read people right off the bat. Facial expressions help but Jade is like a stone wall; Indestructible unless the right machinery is used to tear that stone wall down. Truth be told, I _actually_ wish I had the right machinery. Jade would probably rip my head off if I ever told her that little detail about myself. So, I'll keep my mouth shut if the subject is ever brought up.

"Are you going to tell me why I was carried all the way to my bed?" I lay back on my bed, rubbing my temples, _praying _that my excruciating headache would disappear.

She stands up, turning on the lamp on one of my night stands. Her back is still facing towards me. "It's not a big deal, Vega. Let it go."

"Not a big deal? _Not _a big _deal_? Let it go?" I quickly removed my hands from my temples, lifting my back off the bed with my elbows. "I've been carried home. No wait… let me rephrase that. I've been carried home by _Jade West_, out of all people! I didn't drink tonight and I remember nothing after walking out Cat's front door. My head is throbbing and I-" I shoot up off my bed, frustrated that she still has her back turned to me. "I want to know wha-"

"Okay! I'll tell you! You whine way too much… just so you know. Just shut up and I'll tell you." She walks towards my dresser which isn't too far from the end of my bed. Jade lets out a sigh, facing the mirror, leaning forward on her hands. "Look, Vega. I'm going to tell you this stupid story, but you're keeping your mouth shut until I'm finished speaking. One word from you and I'm out of here." She says pointing at the door.

I propped myself back onto my bed, leaning against the headboard. "Keep my mouth shut. Got it. Got it."

"Okay good. This really isn't worth my time but knowing you, you probably won't let this go until I punched you in the face." She crossed her arms and her face grew bored. "Anyway, Sinjin and Cat's brother were tossing a beer bottle around and I guess you walked out and got caught in the crossfire. _Bang_!" She smacks her hands together causing me jump. "You got hit in the head. Then _Bang_!" She smacks her hands together again. "You fell to the ground and hit your head on the ground." I raise an eyebrow, unsure how I should react. "Yeah, I know. Stupid, right? Anyway, they were both staring at you like complete morons so I decided to help. But don't feel special because if you died, I would've been a witness. So if I helped I'd probably be left off the hook." I still can't process any of this in my head. I feel like I'm listening to one of Cat's stories, minus the enthusiasm, of course. "So there. Tori Vega getting into the middle of things when she's not supposed to."

I can feel my facial expression slowly start to drop. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard..." If Cat was really the one who told me this story, I would let it slide. But this is Jade West I'm dealing with here, not Cat. I'm studying her body language, her facial expressions but that wall is up. That stone wall that no one can tear down. I don't even think Beck has even gotten passed that wall. Okay, maybe he has just a little bit. But that doesn't matter. She's hiding something. I know it. But wait... something just dawned on me...

"Wait a minute... Jade?" I say with suspicion evident in my voice, pushing myself off the headboard. "You weren't even at Cat's party. Wha- What were you doing in front of her house?" She's hesitating. She's staring at me and I feel as though I've broken off a piece of that wall, just enough for me to see the fear in her eyes.

"I was taking a walk. Okay. Are you done with your interrogations?" She pushes herself off the dresser and starts heading for the door. "I'm going now."

"Oh ho no no no! You're not going anywhere." I quickly get up and slam my back against the door, getting in between Jade and her only way out. The fear in her eyes is nonexistent now and it seems that wall is being protected by anger. I grab a hold of her arm. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is up with you. I'm not letting you leave, Jade. I won't have it. I've let things you've said and done go before... but not tonight. I'm _not_ doing that tonight."

"I swear to god, Tori. I'm not kidding. Move out of my way... right... now!"

"Or what?"

"Don't test me, Vega. _Don't_" she glares at me. I refuse to reveal the fear that I feel inside even though I know what Jade is capable of. Like I said, I'm not letting this go. Not tonight. _Definitely _not tonight. She takes in a deep breath, grabs me by the shoulders, and throws me to the floor. "Tori, no one is getting hurt tonight. Don't piss me off! I'm going to walk out of here and pretend like none of this _ever _happened." She turns around and before she could turn the doorknob, she was on the floor with me looking down at her, heavily breathing. Jade lets out a scream and as she got up, she charges for me and pulls me to the ground.

I'm getting dizzy. My hair is being pulled and I have no choice but to pull her hair too. We're both being whipped around the floor and a yell is let out after each tug. Once again, I can't process anything through my head. Everything around me is spinning and I'm catching blurry glimpses of Jade below me. I think I'm crying but I can't tell. I don't feel pain but I feel like I'm hurt inside. I want to get through to Jade but she won't let me. She never does and this is always the outcome; a fight, an argument, a storm that's always formed unexpectedly. We're rolling around the floor now, tangled in each other's limbs, still yanking at each other's hair, still screaming with each pull.

All of a sudden a bright light shines onto us. "Uuuh... guys? I- uuuh- Okay. Keep it down, please? I'm trying to watch... tv. Okay... have fun... I guess. Like I said, you two are BI. POLAR." Trina says. The light is gone, Trina shut the door. Couldn't Trina be sweet this time? I wish she pulled me off this mess.

I finally get Jade pinned to the floor. I'm on top of her with my legs on either side of her hips and holding onto her wrists which are pressed to the floor. "Get off me!"

"No! I need answers! I see it in your eyes, Jade... you have to tell me something!" My face moves closer to hers.

"I have nothing to tell you!"

"Why didn't you let Sinjin and Cat's brother do something about me going unconscious? The Jade West I know would've just kept walking and let me die if it came to that. You carried me home! You wouldn't put me down! Why didn't you le-" A drop falls onto Jade's cheek. I _am _crying and I hate it. I can't stand it at all.

"Vega, get off me. I have nothing to tell you! You always overanalyze things! Please, get off me!"

"I just want to get past that wall." I say under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." I slowly lose my grip and finally get off her.

She gets up and before heading out the door, she wipes my tear off her face and stares at the small wet spot which is now on her finger. She turns around to look at me as if she wants to say something. But she doesn't.

I'm glued to this floor and she has left me speechless. I'm not letting this go. I refuse to.

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><p><strong>If you made it this far, I salute you. I know that I kinda rushed through this chapter but I felt like I needed to. It gets better and the chapters will get more descriptive and reasonably longer. I promise. I wont bore you... hopefully. How many times have you heard that one? haha. Anyway, I'm going to bother you people to review... so REVIEW.<strong>


	2. Indirectly Not Invited

**Hello! First off, I would just like to say thank you for all the favourites and all the reviews I've received so far. They make me feel all happy inside. **

**Anyway, this chapter is so short that it pains me inside. Like I said after the first chapter, chapters from here on out will be reasonably longer than what you're about to read. I refuse to disappoint anyone. Well... if I disappoint only a few people then that's not a problem. Just as long as most of you enjoy this story! OKAY? Cool. Now go on... read. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Victorious. Victorious owns me.**

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><p>There's only a few days left before school is reopened and I'm dreading the Monday we all have to go back to Hollywood Arts. Not only is Spring Break too short, but an incredible amount of laziness takes over you before walking those halls again. I guess I should probably take into consideration that getting into a school as awesome as HA is a privilege and should also be taken as flattery. I should also thank Trina's tongue which was "casually" swollen at one point. Hollywood Arts: A school filled with performing arts students who try their very hardest to make it big. Music, drama, playwrights, and the list goes on.<p>

To me, drama is key and not because I want it to be. It's also not because I want to be an actress one day... because I don't. BUT I would take the opportunity if it was right in front of me. I'm not talking about the drama we learn about in Sikowitz's class or the drama we have to portray in performances within the Black Box Theater. The drama that _I'm _talking about is the drama that every teenager has to face throughout their adolescent years.

Unscripted, plain, old teenage drama.

I don't ask for it. It comes to me naturally... I guess.

Sometimes you just need time alone and that's what I've been enjoying for the past couple of days. After Cat's party and the whole 'Vega/West Storm' on Wednesday night, I decided that I needed time to collect myself along with my thoughts. I have had no human interactions with anyone other than my sister. She recently picked up this daily routine of working out while singing along to the Spice Girls. I absolutely love the Spice Girls but seeing Trina work out while singing along to "Wannabe" is not exactly what you want to see first thing in the morning. And since my parents have gone to visit family up in Northern California for a couple of weeks, there's not exactly an authority figure to stop her. So until they came back, Trina's routine shall continue. I can't stop her. Trust me, I've tried.

Despite the fact that it's Friday morning and I can feel the beats of Spice Girls songs being blasted beneath the floorboards of my room, my bed is incredibly comfy and it's almost relaxing. Keyword: almost. I can't get Jade off my mind. Maybe that beer bottle to the head and slam to the ground got the best of me. I mean, come on, Jade and I are destined to be enemies, right? Okay, maybe not enemies, but friends that aren't really friends. It's a complicated "friendship", of course. Anyway, it was late, my head got rocked, my emotions were out of whack, and I overreacted. Jade did a good deed and I'll leave it at that. It really shouldn't be overanalyzed because Jade West will always _be_ Jade West and Jade West will always hate Tori Vega. If I walked through a thousand suns, fought dangerous creatures in a forest, walked across burning coal with bare feet, fought ten ninjas _and _swam across the pacific _freakin_ ocean just to save Jade from any situation, she'd still have this burning passion of hatred bounding its way through my skin. I'd be lucky enough to get a "Thank you" from her.

All of a sudden, my phone begins to vibrate. Why now? It's way too early to be picking up phone calls. If I ignore it, maybe whoever it is that's calling will eventually hang up. After all, I don't have voicemail so I'm pretty sure they'll get tired of waiting. I've been getting calls and texts from the gang except for Jade, of course. Cat sent me a text last night that said "Hey, Tor! I don't know where u r but I hope ur ok! My brother ate my homework! Just kidding! But he did eat paper. It was so funny! KAY KAY! CALL ME WHEN YOU CAN! BYEEEEEEEEEEE :)" I'm slowly accepting the fact that questioning Cat and her antics will get you nowhere.

After tossing and turning a few times, thinking the person calling would give up, I finally reach for my phone which is sitting on my nightstand.

"Hello?" I say in a raspy voice.

"Tori! Are you still in bed?"

"Who is this?"

"It's Andre," he replies loudly, "girl, get up! Everyone has been tryna get a hold of you. Where have you been these past couple of days? Are you okay?"

"Yes, Andre," I say distracted by the incredible amount of noise coming from his end, "Where are you? It's so loud where you are!"

"Yeah, sorry about that. I'm in Van Nuys coming back from my cousin's place and it's really noisy on the streets right now. A lot of cars and people coming and going. I hope I don't get shot up out here."

"Haha... Don't be silly...but let's hope not," I say as I slowly got out of bed. I walk up to my mirror and my reflection is horrendous. I look so tired and my hair is so tangled. This is going to be a pain to fix.

"Are you sure you're okay? The gang's getting together and we wanna know if you're coming."

I hesitate as I try to collect my thoughts for the thousandth time in the past couple of days. The "storm" the other night is the reason why I haven't gone out or talked to anyone... but I guess going out tonight wouldn't hurt.

"Hello? Are you still there?" he asks, interrupting my thoughts.

"Sorry, what?"

"I _said_, we're all meeting up later. It's Friday! You can't _not _come," he demands.

"What's happening anyway?"

"Jade is throwing a party at her place. You know, kind of like an end of Spring Break bash."

"Jade? I don't know, Andr-"

"Tori, listen" he interrupts, "I don't know what happened between you and Jade the other night but-"  
>"What? What are you talking about?" How does Andre know? Did I hit my head again in the middle of telling him something happened between Jade and I that night and I just <em>happened<em> to forget?

"Tori, I saw Jade carrying you away from Cat's house the other night. Something in my head told me that I should've done something but I didn't. I must say, though... it was a trip."

"You should've stopped her! What if she killed me?"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry but at least she didn't."

Just thinking about that night makes me cringe inside. Even though I just about convinced myself that I'm over the whole incident, it's still going to be one of those memories that I wish I could erase. We almost killed each other and not just that... I _cried_. Jade saw me cry and there's no changing that. Maybe if I get a beer bottle... throw it at her head-

"Tori? Hello? You still there?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"So are you coming or not? I'll pick you up if you want."

"Hm. Yeah. Yeah I'll come." I say this with so much confidence in my voice that it almost sounds like I'm up to something. I'm not up to anything, I have nothing planned, but going to Jade's house uninvited would just be simple payback for all the times she came over to _my _place uninvited.

"That's my girl! Be ready by 8!"

"Alright. See you later."

I hang up with a big smile on my face. I'm finally getting fresh air along with familiar faces. Tonight should be fun.

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><p><strong>And yes this does start off during Spring Break. I hope that didn't throw any of you off.<strong>

**Anyway, I told you it was short but that's okay. Do you smell that? That's the smell of drama and angst cooking in my kitchen. Tori, Tori, Tori... you don't know what you're getting yourself into. God! I can't wait. I also can't wait to up the rating to M. Are you foreshadowing yet? Are ya? Are ya? ;D  
><strong>

** Even though this chapter is shorter than Rex's feet, and it probably pains me more than it pains you, feed me your reviews. **

** I'm going to try to update this story within 5 days at a time. Is that good enough? I think so. Anywhoooo. REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! **


	3. Realizations

**I know I'm really late on this update but blame my laptop. It won't turn on. So I wrote this chapter on my iPhone and it was a pain in the ass! Anyway, here's chapter 3. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Victorious, I do not own.**

"I'll tell you what I want what I really really want! So tell me what you want what you really really want!"

Trina has been singing and dancing in the living room for hours now. I don't know where she gets all this energy from. Her out of tune singing and loud thumping would usually bother me but this is all too amusing. I'm sitting at the dinner table with a bag of frozen peas pressed against the back of my head while I watch Trina soak herself up in her confidence. I've been sporting a bump since Wednesday night and it might as well be the size of a golf ball. My headaches have been coming and going but they don't last for too long. Thank God they last for a short period of time, because they're excruciating and feel as though they'll last forever.

Those headaches... this bump... They hold a memory I wish I could forget. I'm over the fact that Jade carried me home and that I'll probably never get an answer as to why she did so. We almost killed each other, I'm over that too. I'm not over the fact that she saw me shed a tear. Or tears... whatever. Like I said before, Jade and I are destined to be enemies or friends that aren't really friends. And because of that, I refuse to admit, especially to Jade, that I can be weak. If tearing down her walls is impossible, then tearing down my walls should be impossible too. It's one thing for her to see that she can get me angry but it's another thing for her to see me cry. Jade West cannot take control. I won't allow it. Now that I think about it, it seems that Jade and I may have too much pride to lose this war. It's ongoing and seeing her tonight, uninvited, definitely won't give this war a break.

"Tori, where are you going?" Trina asks, out of breath as she takes her PearPod off the dock and lays on the couch.

"A party."

"Oooo! Can I come? Who's party is it? A senior's party? A hot senior? Oh wait!" She quickly sits up and stares at me in excitement. "I bet it's Caroline Carter's party. Her parties are always awesome!"

"Whoa. Slow down, Speedy Gonzales. How would you know what her parties are like? You've never been to one... let alone been invited. Trina, she doesn't even like you. You spit in her lunch because she got a role that you wanted, remember?"

"So? That was before I knew her house was massive! and she has a brother who's in college! He's hot!" She pauses for a moment and stares at me desperately.

"What?" I say harshly.

"Can I come or not?" She whines.

"No! It's not even Caroline's party. It's Jade's."

She stares at me with a raised eyebrow, confusion is written all over her face. I already know what's running through that mind of hers. I'm going to Jade's party. Jade and I hate each other. Blah blah blah.

"Jade is throwing a party and you, Tori Vega, are going?" Hook. "Don't you guys hate each other?" Line. "I really don't understand you two." And of course, sinker. I nailed it, I saw all of that coming.

I stare at her with my chin slightly raised and hesitate on purpose. "Yes. I, Tori Vega, am going to Jade West's party."

"You guys were ready to rip each other's heads off the last time I saw you two together... and you're still going to her party after that?"

I lift my chin slightly and hesitate once again. "Yeah. Yeah, pretty much." I respond nodding my head in confidence.

Trina gets up off the couch and starts for the dinner table. She sits next to me and that confused look on her face is now gone. She seems concerned now. I throw my bag of peas onto the table and study her. Uh oh. This can't be good. This can't be good at all. The last time she attacked me with concern at the dinner table was about a year ago when she thought I was sexually active. Was i sexually active? No, and I'm still not. Why she thought I was sexually active? I don't know, but it sure beats having "the talk" with my parents. They've made attempts but I've rejected each one. Just thinking about having the talk with my parents gives me the shivers but that's beside the point. I just wonder what Trina is so concerned about this time around.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that, Trina?" She places a hand on my shoulder and smiles at me.

"I know that I'm prettier and more talented than you but you should know that I still love you."

"Umm... Okay?" It's amazing how conceited this girl is sometimes or most of the time rather.

"That just goes to show that I will love you no matter what." She stares at me and smiles but then the smile instantly shrinks. "Don't take this the wrong way but do you and Jade have a thing going on? A dysfunctional relationship? More than friends? A secret rela-"

"Whoa whoa whoa! What?" I blurt out, shrugging her hand off my shoulder. "What?" I repeat.

"Do you and Jade have a thi-"

"No don't repeat it. I heard you but... w- what?" I can't believe this! Am I hearing all of this correctly? Does my sister really think I'm into girls? Does she _really_ think I'm into... Jade? I get up from my seat and stare down at her. "Are you crazy? I like guys. Dudes. Males. Men. Not girls and most definitely not Jade!"

"Whoa! Calm down. I'm just- I'm just saying. You two _supposedly_ hate each other, right? But one minute you guys are cool and the next minute you guys want to kill each other. You could only _supposedly_ hate someone for so long before you explode. You two are so bi polar, it's weird. Or should I say... bi sexual" She laughs.

"Trina!" I storm out of the dining room area and head straight for the stairs.

"Tori! I still love you!"

"I don't care! I still think you're crazy!"

I get to my room and slam my body onto my bed face first. I had to get out of there. That conversation alone was too much for me to handle that I'm exhausted from it. My sister is delusional. She's crazy. Absolutely insane.

xXx

Andre finally calls to tell me that he's in my driveway. He's half an hour late but I don't mind because I'm not in a rush to get to the party. I'm just happy that I'm seeing familiar faces again. I've been a student at Hollywood Arts for quite some time now and I couldn't be more thankful for the group of people that I hang out with. Andre, Cat, Robbie, Beck and... Jade... I guess.

"Trina! I'm leaving! Try not to burn the place down!" I yell as I'm about to head out the door. Trina stomps down the stairs with a hairbrush that seems to be stuck in her hair.

"God! Those infomercials are- they're just- they're just so- urgh! This vibrating hairbrush comes in late and it wasn't even worth the wait! Now it's stuck in my hair and it won't turn off!" The vibrating hairbrush is doing just that, vibrating in a clump of hair. It's hilarious. "Tori, help me? Please!"

"Sorry, sis. You're stuck in this mess. I have to go."

"Urgh. Fine. Have fun and don't let your Jade get to you." My Jade? _My_ Jade. My sister is still delusional. I decide to ignore her and slam the door behind me.

The car ride on the way to Jade's place is filled with melodies and perfect harmonies. Andre picked Cat up before he came and got me. Cat suggested that we'd sing songs but before Andre and I could protest, she belted out a note that got me and Andre going.

We've been singing random tunes for about fifteen minutes and the car starts to slow down.

"Wow!"

"Aaw, Tor! You ruined it! We sounded so pretty!" Cat says disappointed, turning around to look at me in the back seat.

"Sorry but that house is huge!" I say with my nose pressed up against the window.

"Yep. It's quite the sight, ain't it? That right there is the West residence." Andre says, pulling into the driveway.

"Whoa..." I've never been to Jade's house before because I never had a reason to go. I always imagined it to be average. Not too big and not too small. But boy was I wrong. The West residence has a huge driveway leading to three garage doors. To the left is her porch with a huge front door with patterned windows. There are huge windows all around the house. Huge huge huge! It's overwhelming! "This place is-"

"A beautiful pile of bricks? I know." Andre interrupts.

"I didn't know she was so-"

"Rich? Her mommy and daddy have money coming out of their bums! Mostly her daddy though." Cat interrupts this time.

"Okay. You ladies ready?" Andre turns off the engine and we get out of the car.

Cat skips her way to the front door while Andre and I continue walking behind her. I'm still scanning the front of the house with my eyes in awe. Cat rings the doorbell causing me to snap back to my senses and the ring echoes throughout the whole house. I could only imagine how beautiful it is on the inside. The door finally opens and Cat jumps in excitement. Cat hugs Jade and Jade obviously doesn't respond to the embrace. Jade is staring at me as if she's staring into my soul.

Cat makes her way inside and Jade leans on the doorframe, _still_ staring into my soul.

Every feeling from Wednesday night has returned and I don't know why. I said I was over it but now it bothers me that Jade is throwing a party. How could she be over what happened on that night? Why wasn't she wallowing like I was for the past couple of days? Why am I hurt? Why do I want answers? Answers as to why she carried me home. Answers as to why I'm feeling this way right now. What's wrong with me?

"I don't remember inviting that one." She says pointing at me and glaring at Andre.

"I- um- I didn't do anything!" Andre swoops passed Jade into the house. She looks over her shoulder and back at me. Stay cool, Tori. Stay cool.

"So?" She crosses her arms and scans me. "What gave you the balls to come here?"

I hesitate. "I've come here uninvited. Sound familiar to you, expert?" She looks away for a moment and scans me again.

"You're not going to attack me, Vega? With questions?" She pushes herself off the doorframe and takes a few steps toward me.

As much as I want answers, I have no choice but to reject my cravings for them. I don't want to feel or seem vulnerable. "I got it to the head pretty good that night, remember? I was feeling wonky. Just pretend like it never happened."

"Oh, I have. I just don't want any of your funny business roaming around my house. Got it?"

"Unlike you, I have respect for other households. Don't worry, I won't cut up your mom's flowers with scissors." It's incredibly hard to keep my composure right now. I just want to yell and scream and pout like a child.

"Ha. Good. Come in."

We walk into her house and it's so clean. I mean it... it's spotless.

"You guys got here pretty early so, we'll hang out in the kitchen while we wait for everyone else."

"Your place is amazing."

"I know." She says, leading me to the kitchen.

About an hour has passed since Robbie and Rex finally arrived. We've been hanging out in Jade's kitchen for quite some time before the doorbell started ringing every five minutes or so. Thank goodness. It's distracting, I really need to get my mind off all my confusion. So, the more people the better. I'm surprised that a lot of people are even coming to this party. Jade West intimidates everyone at Hollywood Arts and to see all these unfamiliar faces is pretty surprising.

Jade directs everyone to the basement and the gang follows.

"Andre, we're missing someone. Where's Beck?"

"Canada. He left last night."

"Oh." I say in response. "Whoa... This is a basement?" Her house just keeps getting better and better. Once you get downstairs there's a pool table in the middle of the room. Right next to that is a wall, on the other side is a bar, a plasma screen television and many pictures on the walls.

I take a seat on the only couch in sight. I regret coming here but Andre seems to be my only ride home and being a party pooper is never good. Coming here was a mistake. Seeing Jade has triggered emotions that I can't explain. Why is everything unexplainable? WHY? Is getting straight answers too much to ask? I lean back on the couch and rub my temples. "I'm going crazy." I say to myself. The lights are all of sudden turned off and a stream of colored lights are turned on, moving and changing to the beat of music blaring from speakers. A dude set up turn tables next to the bar and it looks like this party has begun.

I'm glued to this couch while everyone is dancing around. A couple is making out right next to me and I'm afraid that they might swallow each other. I turn away from the slobs and spot Jade dancing her life away with Cat, Andre, and another guy I've never seen in my life. Jade dancing with other people, I never thought I'd see the day where she'd do it with her own will. She can dance, she can move her body, she doesn't have a rhythm issue. She knows what she's doing and it's beautiful. I continue watching her as she flows to the beats so smoothly. Her hips moving left and right. Her arms and shoulders taking in rhythms and letting those rhythms take control. She runs her fingers through her hair and continues her movements that I can't take my eyes off of.

I can't do this.

I make my way through the crowd and head back upstairs. I explore my way through the first floor and head up the stairs to the second. I assume Jade's parents aren't home so I guess I have nothing to worry about. A washroom is all I need. I'm going crazy. I _must_ be going crazy. My headache is coming back and I can feel that excruciating feeling about to take over. I run to the first door that I see and turn the knob. I turn on the light and realize that I'm in Jade's room. It's dark even with the light on. I don't explore, I just head straight for her mirror. I could care less about my surroundings. I just need to see if I'm going crazy... If I look crazy.

My face looks fine. My hair looks fine. My clothes look the same way they looked when I left my house. I'm still Tori. I'm not crazy. I'm still sane. Kinda.

"Vega!" A familiar voice yells from behind me causing me to jump and grab my chest.

"Oh my god!" I turn around and realize that it's Jade. "Oh. Jade, it's- it's you. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Good! Now what the hell are you doing in here?"

"I- uh- I- um- I was just-"

"Spit it out, Vega."

"I was looking for a washroom and ended up in here." Jade makes her way to her closet and grabs a shirt. I notice that she has a big stain on the shirt that she is currently wearing. "What happened?"

"Some idiot spilled a drink on me." The goth quickly takes her shirt off and my eyes are glued to her once again. Her body... it's... it's beautiful. "What is it, Vega? Never seen a girl change before?"

"I- just- um-"

"Stop stuttering. It's annoying. Are you coming back downstairs? I don't want you contaminating my room."

"Look, Jade. About the other night..." I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm saying. I need to let something out. I just don't know exactly what it is.

Jade lets out a groan. "What did I say about questions? Don't start."

"No. No. I just wanted to say that I- um-" Let it out, Tori. You've made it this far and there's no turning back now.

"What?" She says, irritated.

"I wanted to say that I- um- I think- I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for bringing me home the other night."

"That's all you wanted to say?"

"Yeah." I say unsure. "What else would you want me to say?"

"Nothing." She looks disappointed. Did I say something wrong? "Are you coming downstairs or not? Seriously. I don't want you in here."

"Yeah. I'll be there." Before I knew it, Jade left the room. Urgh! What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?

I grab my phone out of my back pocket and dial.

"Hello? Trina? Can you pick me up?" Trina whined but I finally convinced her and gave her directions to Jade's house. I can't stay here. I might cause a scene or do something stupid.

Trina finally arrived and I was out the door before anyone could see me. I got into my seat and slammed the door. My headache is getting worse. Everything is overwhelming me right now.

"Jade's house is hu-"

"I know. Drive!"

"Okay okay. What's wrong, sistah?" I ignore her before we could make eye contact. "I was right earlier, wasn't I? You like her, don't you?"

It's too obvious to lie to my sister. So I won't. I shut my eyes tight. "I think so. I'm about ready to explode."

I want answers because I have these feelings for her. It's that simple yet so complicated.

"It's okay. Remember, I love you."

"Yeah, thanks, Trina." I look out the window and notice that we're already on the main road. "But I don't think _she_ ever will." I say quietly, referring to Jade.

"Sorry? What'd you say?"

"Nothing."

**God, Tori! How could you not realize that you liked her before? Silly girl. Kinda cliff-y this chapter is, ain't it? I like build ups. Do you like build ups? Let's hope so. Don't worry, I won't kill you with all the build ups. Maybe. Now, review! It was a pain to write this up on a phone so the least you could do is review! Blood sweat and tears went into this. Okay, lovelies. Until next time... **


	4. Being Tested

**Once again, thank you for the reviews and favourites. Like I said to Dilicious_the_DD, they're like legal drugs.**

**I would also like to answer one question that was asked. Many of Tori's questions may or may not be answered in future chapters. Does that answer anything? Not really. I just don't wanna give too much away. I will tell you this though... you will find out why this story is called Runaway Empire in no time. :) Cool? Cool. Oh and before I forget... I hate this chapter. Think of it as a filler or something.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dan, thank you for all your shows in which you own. They're all great.**

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><p><em>Things will go good before they go bad. Things will get worse before they get better. Do something about it. PLEASE!<em>

I wake up letting out a gasp as if I was drowning and coming up for air. I'm sweating as if I ran a marathon. I'm holding onto my chest as if I'm trying to stop my heart from beating so fast.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Relax.

I grab a hold of reality and realize that it was just a dream. It felt more like a nightmare because all I saw was black with faded lights appearing and disappearing. And that voice talking to me sounded familiar but I can't figure out who it belongs to. I can't tell if it was my voice or someone else's. I also can't tell if it was male or female. All in all, it terrified me. It was so loud and it felt so real.

"Tori! Get up! We're going to be late!" Trina yells, barging into my room and shaking my mattress.

"Oh my god!" I yell. "Do you have to barge in like that? I've had enough near death experiences and heart attacks in the past week." I grab a pillow and cover my face with it. "Is it Monday already?"

"No, silly. It's Saturday. Mr. Smoove's Smoothies's grand opening is today! How could you forget? You were the one who told me about it. Now get ready because they're giving out free smoothies until 1 pm!"

I take the pillow off my face and frown. "Oh yeah. I totally forgot about that." It's only Saturday? I just want to sleep in and never see the light of day again. A bit dramatic, I know but I'm just not in the mood for anything. "I don't know... I'm not really in the mood for smoo-"

"Come on. It'll be fun and it'll make you feel better. Smoothies are on me." She says with a generous smile on her face.

"How sweet. Even though you just told me they're free until 1..."

"Whatever. And gross... you're sweating. Anyway! Be ready in twenty, Tori. I want to get my sm_oo_thie on." She shakes her hips and heads out my door.

I look at the clock and see that it's 9:47 in the morning. That's way too early for a Saturday, _even_for Trina. I grab my phone from my nightstand and see that I have 3 missed calls and 2 text messages, all from Cat. The first message reads, "Hey, Tor. Are u playing hide and seek? Me and Andre have been looking all over for u. This house is big and I'm tired. It's not fun anymore! COME OUT!" It seems that she sent that message an hour after I left the party. I read the second message and it reads, "I texted Trina saying that u were missing but she said that ure fine. R u feeling ok? Call me when u can." Cat is a great friend and because of that, I think I owe her at least some assurance. So I should probably text her back saying that I'm okay.

"Sorry I didn't tell you guys I was leaving. I wasn't feeling well so I called Trina to pick me up but I'm okay." I tap send.

Moments later I receive a reply. "It's ok! I'll talk to u later. Me and my mom are baking. BYEEEE." Oh, Cat. She's adorable.

I slowly get out of bed, walk up to my mirror, and see that I am sweating like I'm Niagara Falls. I have to be ready in less than twenty minutes and I feel like I need at least forty minutes to take a shower. Oh well. It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone today.

I put on a plain white v-neck I find laying on the floor and throw on a hoodie over it. I also grab a pair of jeans and put them on lazily because I'm really not in the mood for anything. Getting ready to go get smoothies at almost 10am isn't exactly thrilling, so I could care less about being enthusiastic about a beverage of any sort. Being enthusiastic about _anything_ is impossible for me right now. The events and unexpected feelings that have come out from who _knows_where have plagued me. Yep... plagued me.

When you learn about puberty in the 4th or 5th grade, it all seems pretty new to you, of course. You also learn about developing feelings for someone else or about becoming attracted to someone. Not too heavy for a 4th or 5th grader but giggles are always released when the word "vagina" or "penis" is said out loud. When you learn about all that stuff at that age, you see that girls are attracted to boys and boys are attracted to girls. Not necessarily, of course, but what else has society put into children's minds? My point? I never thought I'd ever develop feelings for another girl- for Jade West, to be exact. So now I'm back at square one because all of this is so new to me. But this time I'm not a little kid that just learned that being attracted to the opposite sex is considered normal. I'm a teenager that's really confused and unfocused all because I have feelings for a girl that I should hate. It gets heavy now. The whole situation, I mean. Do I act on it, or not? I really don't know what I'm going to do. Moving in on Beck's girl would be betrayal. Moving in on Jade West would be suicide. She'd kill me... but something's telling me she will and something else is telling me she won't.

No... you like the opposite sex, Tori. The. Opposite. Sex.

Urgh. I think it's clear that I'm confused beyond belief.

Trina walks into my room and stares at me, disgusted. "Um. If you're going to look like _that_you could at least freshen up, you know. Brush your teeth maybe? Wash your face?"

"Shut up. I was just about to." I don't blame her for thinking that I don't look presentable. I really do look horrifying.

After freshening up, I walk downstairs to see that Trina is nowhere in sight. It would be a relief if she left without me, but sometimes you don't always get what you wish for. I hear loud honking from outside. "Hurry up! I want my free smoothie asap!" Trina yells from the car, honking consistently.

I grab my keys and head out the door. "I didn't even have breakfast yet. I'm kinda hungry." I say, shutting the car door.

"Wah Wah Wah. Always something with you. _I'm_ hungry. _I'm_ tired. _I'm_ not in the mood." She says mockingly, reversing out of the driveway. "Well, guess what. _I_want a smoothie."

"You know, for someone who says they love me and will always be there for me, you sure don't know how to show it."

"Okay okay. We'll get the big baby some food." She says, talking to me like a child. I glare at her. "God I'm kidding. Geez. You end up liking a girl and you become a crabby Kathy."

I punch her in the arm and the car slightly swerves. "That was low... even for you."

"I'm trying to cheer you up. I guess I should be more sympathetic."

I ignore her and turn on the radio to drain her out. I don't know the song that's playing but it'll do. The song suddenly stops.

"I was listening to that." I exclaim.

Trina slaps my hand away from turning the radio back on. "_So?_What are you going to do?" She pokes me in the ribs.

I shift my body from her finger, already irritated at my annoying sister at this time in the morning. "About what?" I reply, agitated.

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't play dumb."

"Who cares?"

"_You_ do." I ignore her once again and look out the window. "Tori, you like the girl. You like _a_ girl. If I were you, I'd do something about it. I wouldn't mope around like a big baby. I would try to embrace it and get comfortable with the role."

Anger suddenly builds up inside of me. I turn in my seat to face Trina. "This isn't like one of the plays you watch at school, Trina! It's real life! It's complicated and it's not like I'm memorizing a script!" I'm talking with my hands and my voice is amplified. "There is no role! There are no lines! There are no actors! This is..."

Trina looks at me, with a sympathetic smile. "Real?" She says. I sink into my seat realizing that this _really is_real. I really do care about all of this. I'm just trying my best to erase everything from my mind because it's really too much for me to handle. It's so fresh and so new to me these feelings. "You'll be okay. Just don't go mental. Mom and dad wouldn't be too happy about having a mental person as a daughter."

"You're pretty close to mental." I say under my breath.

"What did you say?"

I quickly change the subject. "Oh, look! We're here!"

"Oh and look! There's a Red Ties right next to Mr. Smoove's Smoothies. They have all day breakfast. Go get some food and I'll meet you there in a bit, sistah."

We both get out of the car and walk across the parking lot to get to the plaza. Mr Smoove's Smoothies... what a name. The line isn't too long from what I can see through the glass but I'm sure it'll get longer by the time noon hits. Red Ties is practically deserted when I walk in. The sound of the bells attached to the door caught the attention of the lady at the cash register. "Welcome to Red Ties! What can I get you, young lady?"

I squint at the menu above and behind her. "Um. I guess I'll have the Deuces Wild and instead of bacon, I'll have sausages. Oh and I'll have an apple juice too."

"Sure, sweetie." She walks to the kitchen and stabs the piece of paper with my order on it through a needle. "Aye, Will! One Deuces Wild! Don't mess it up this time! Two pancakes! Two sausages! And two eggs! You mess up and you're out of here, ya here me?" She then directs me with a smile to sit down and tells me that she'll come to my table with my food when it's ready.

I sit at a table next to a window, getting a view of the road next to the plaza. This is the closest I've been to peace in the past few days. I need to clear my head from all these crazy thoughts and feelings. I _must_ be going insane. I have to be... there's no other explanation.

The door to the restaurant suddenly opens and I'm expecting it to be Trina. So much for peace. I hear footsteps behind me and they stop before they start again. I turn around to greet her. "How's the smoo-" I choke before I could finish my question. Is this really happening right now? Am I on a reality show or something? Someone please just pop out with a camera crew and just tell me this is all for the sake of Hollywood and not reality.

"What are you doing here?" The goth sits in the seat in front of me and I stare at her blankly. "Well? Are you going to speak or sit there like an idiot..."

Some higher power _must_ be testing me right now. How is it that Jade is sitting right in front of me at the most random restaurant I could think of, at this hour. Coincidence? I think not. I look around the restaurant hoping that cameras really _will _pop out. Jade raises a brow and looks around too, confused as to what I'm doing. "What are _you_doing here? You don't seem like a morning person." She sits back in her seat and crosses her arms. I feel like she can see right through me. She's staring at me, studying me like she's trying to figure me out. I'm getting nervous, she's making me nervous. The girl I have feelings for is sitting right in front of me... how else would I feel?

"Here you go. Deuces Wild and an apple juice. Will you be sharing this with your friend?" The lady asks.

"She's not my friend." Jade says bluntly.

"Oh... Well then. Better acquainted rather than nothing. Enjoy!" The lady walks away and leaves me alone with the goth.

"So, what happened to you last night? I hope I didn't scare you away." She says, smirking.

Yes, Jade. That's exactly what you did. You scared me away because thanks to you, I'm feeling the way I'm feeling right now. You didn't have to carry me home, you know. The others could have helped me, but no... you just _had_to do a good deed for once. AND if you didn't throw a party, I wouldn't have felt the need to crash it and then have all these stupid feelings arise from the freakin ground! Screw you, Jade. Screw. You. "I wasn't feeling well so I got Trina to pick me up." Not exactly what I wanted to say but I really wasn't feeling well. So it wasn't a complete lie.

"Hm. Interesting." We both go silent for a moment and she takes out her phone. She then looks back up at me. "Would you rather watch me or eat your food? You _really_ do look like an idiot right now." She now has her attention on her phone again and no longer has her attention on me. I poor syrup all over my pancakes and finally start eating. I find it kind of weird that Jade is still sitting in front of me. I'm surprised she hasn't gotten up and walked away after saying a mean comment. Am I missing something here?

My phone vibrates and I look at Jade, thinking she might've sent me a mean text message just for the hell of trying to get on my nerves. She's still focused on her phone, scrolling away at whatever she's looking at. I look at the screen and see that it's a text from Trina. "I was going to walk in, but I saw you and your girlfriend through the window. I'll wait for you in the car. Here's your chance to do something!"

Do something? What exactly am I supposed to do? Say, "Oh, Jade... By the way, I think I may have feelings for you."? Oh definitely... that wouldn't be crazy at all. God! Trina picks the worst times to be nice.

"Okay. I'd _love_ to stay and chat..." She says sarcastically. "But I came here for coffee." She gets up, straightens her black top, and begins to make her way to the cash register. Think, Tori. _Think. _This _really_is your chance to do something. Anything!

"Jade wait."

"What?" She stops and turns around.

"Um..." Keeping thinking, Tori. Think harder! "Do you like Quentin Tarantino?" That's the first question that came to mind. Jade nods her head and slowly makes her way back to the table. "Well, I got this box set of all the movies he's directed... and I don't know anyone else who would be into movies like his. I'd invite Cat but we all know that she's not into tha-"

"Get to the point." She interrupts, almost irritated at my rambling.

"Um. Do you want to come over and watch some of them? I've been wanting to watch them for a while now. I just don't want to watch them alone..." Wow. That sounded pathetic. She stares at me looking uninterested. _Crap._ Now I really _do_look like a total idiot. Why would I even think she would say yes? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. "Never mind. Forget I even a-"

"Okay. I'll come."

"_What_?" I respond in shock. "You will?"

"It's not like I'm doing anything tonight anyway." She turns to finally order her coffee. "Oh and not a word about this little movie night to anyone, Vega. I don't want people getting any ideas. Got it?"

xXx

Two large boxes of pizza are delivered to my house. One Hawaiian and one that's just Cheese. It's almost 7pm and I don't exactly know what time Jade is coming. I just hope she gets here before the pizza gets cold. I was going to attempt to cook food but ordering pizza was easier and pizza also suits the whole 'movie night' scenario.

I place the pizza on the dinner table and get comfortable on the couch. I'm not as nervous as I was at Red Ties. Maybe tonight will determine if these feelings are real or not. I won't try to pull any moves on her because I'm not ready for that and that also wouldn't be right. I also won't tell her about how I've been feeling either. Tonight is just a movie night with Jade West and that's it- nothing else. My invite was beyond pathetic but she bought it, surprisingly. I guess her not having Beck around gives her nothing to do.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes since the pizza came, the door bells rings. I open the door and there the goth is looking comfortable. She's wearing a black pull over hoodie and jeans. Definitely an outfit I've never seen her wear before.

"Looking comfortable there." I say, examining her outfit.

"Very." She pushes passed me and makes her way to the couch. "I smell pizza." She says, sniffing the air.

"Yeah. There's two boxes on the table. Hawaiian and just cheese. Do you want some?"

"Maybe later. I already ate." Despite her lack of enthusiasm at the moment, I can't help but be glad that she said 'Maybe later'. It's kind of a dorky thing to be glad about but 'Maybe later' means that she's staying here for a while. Unless I mess up and give her a reason to leave, but I'll make sure that doesn't happen. I'm just glad that I got her here. "Okay. I want to start with Death Proof." She says, grabbing the box set from the coffee table. "Let's get this movie night started before I get bored and leave." I pop the movie into the DVD player and press play once the main menu appeared on the screen. I sit on the couch, making sure I'm as far away from Jade as possible. I don't want her kicking me to the floor just because I won't give her any space, so the opposite end of the couch seems safe. This movie night has officially begun.

I don't think I've ever been so drawn into a movie. There's so much dialogue in this film that I can't zone out for a moment. I've never really seen a Tarantino film other than Kill Bill Volume. 1 but I've come to the conclusion that Mr. Tarantino is a complete genius. This car chase scene is intense! I can't even put it into the words! Oh my god! They got him! They got the dude that was messing around with them! These three girls are badass! Whoa! They're punching him now... oh, god... this is brutal! His face is messed up! Punch after punch after punch after punch! Wait... that's it? It's over? The movie is finished? Oh wait... there's one more scene.

"Tori." Ew! "Tori..." Oh my god! She stomped on his head with the heel of her foot! "Tori?" Wow! That movie was awesome! "Holy shit! Vega!"

"W-what?" I snap back to reality, turning to Jade, staring at me with a grin on her face. "What is it?"

"Nothing. I've never seen you so focused on anything so hard before."

"Oh, well. It was a great movie." I get up but a sudden pain in my right thigh pulls me back down. "Ow! _Crap!_"

"What's wrong?"

"Urgh." I say, rubbing my thigh. "It's cramping up."

Jade laughs. "Well, that's what you get for not moving for the whole movie." She gets up, makes her way towards me, and kneels in front of me. "Here. Let me look at it." I look at her, unsure. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you... maybe." She lets out a snicker and starts massaging my thigh. She's making motions with her thumbs and I think I might just explode right here. Jade is touching me, massaging me, and it feels... it feels... IT FEELS SO GOOD. Snap out of it, Tori. It's just a massage. I lean back and tilt my head back, looking up at the ceiling, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Am I hurting you?" She asks. I shake my head. Why is she being so gentle? I'm not complaining, though. As lame as it may sound, this is so blissful right now. Jade doing good deeds- I can definitely get used to this. "Okay. Don't get too relaxed." She slaps my thigh and sits next to me.

"Thanks."

"Mhm." She grabs the box set. "Just so you know, I want to watch all of these tonight." She throws the set on my lap. She wants to watch all of them tonight. _All _of the movies in that box set. That would take all night, meaning she might as well sleepover. Holy crap.

"Um. Okay sure." I shoot up from the couch. "Be right back. I need the bathroom."

I run straight for the bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror. "Okay, Tori. It's no big deal. It's a sleepover. Girls sleepover at other girl's places. You've done it with Cat. You've done it with a few friends from your former school. It's no. big. deal." I say to myself.

Jade is sleeping over. Jade is sleeping over. _Holy _crap! Jade is sleeping over at my house tonight...

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><p><strong>Okay... so I would like you guys to review. Jade is sleeping over at Tori's place... come on now! Jade goes from being mean to nice? The hell is up with her? Review and ask me what the hell is going to happen next or something. Give me those legal drugs, please! <strong>


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